Marin Voice: White Cane Day focuses on building awareness

HERCULE PEIROT, the fictitious detective of PBS mysteries, carries a cane, and with his hat and gloves he's a well-turned out gentleman. Hikes, walkers and mountain climbers also use canes as walking sticks for balance and leverage.

Visually impaired and blind people frequently use a white cane for much the same reasons hikers do.

The use of the white cane for the visually impaired and blind is not intended as a fashion statement. Nor does it serve solely for balance.

Oct. 15 is designated as White Cane Safety Day, a day that has been celebrated each year since it was signed into law in 1964.

In 2011, President Barack Obama also named White Cane Safety Day as "Blind Americans Equality Day."

As board president of the nonprofit Blind and Vision Impaired of Marin, I encourage you to learn more about our organization, whose motto is: "To reach beyond vision impairment." Our mission is: "To help Marin rsidents who have experienced vision loss gain and maintain their independence and quality of life."

On this White Cane Day, I urge you to become educated about the white cane, its purpose and its importance and to understanding that being attentive to and observant of people for whom use of their white canes is essential.

Here are a couple of reminders from state driving laws regarding people with white canes:

 Stop at all crosswalks where pedestrians are waiting. Wait for the pedestrian to cross the street.

 Don't honk your horns at a visually impaired person.

 Don't stop in the middle of a crosswalk.

 If you drive a clean-air vehicle, be aware that your car makes less noise and visually impaired people may not be able to hear your vehicle.

I urge you to learn more about our organization and White Cane Safety Day by contacting us at info@BVIM.org.

As Helen Keller, noted deaf and blind American author and activist, once stated: "I will not just live my life. I will not just spend my life. I will invest my life."

Nancy Peters-Janover of Novato is president of the board of the Blind and Vision Impaired of Marin, a nonprofit that supports blind or vision-impaired people and advocates for the needed services.